DECEMBER 1998

Tuesday 29th December 1998

Defender Colin Hendry misses out on the trip to Tannadice tomorrow, having an automatic one-match ban placed on him for the deliberate hand-ball against St Johnstone that led to Saints' penalty which they duly missed. Youngster Scott Wilson is the obvious replacement. Dutch defender Arthur Numan continues to be posted missing, and former Hearts winger Neil McCann stands-by to make his first start for the club since joining a few weeks ago. That may mean the dropping of Jorg Albertz to the bench, but there is the possibility Andrei Kanchelskis may also drop out with McCann getting the chance to play on both wings as he sees fit.

Thursday 24th December 1998

German keeper Stefan Klos has completed his £700,000 move to Rangers in time to play in the Boxing Day fixture against St Johnstone at Ibrox. The 27-year-old star, who won the European Champions' League with Borussia Dortmund in 1997, has signed a four-and-a-half year deal. Rangers failed to capture Klos' signature in the summer when the German international became emroiled in a protracted legal battle with Dortmund. Central defender Colin Hendry is set to return to first team action at Ibrox on Boxing Day against St Johnstone. The big international skipper missed out on last weekend's victory over Hearts at Tynecastle following a training ground knock, but has trained all this week without any reaction and will start the match. But Dutch defender Arthur Numan remains out and will not play until after the winter shutdown. He is expected, however, to travel to Florida with the squad and play in the friendly against Brazilain opposition.

Friday 18th December 1998

Rangers Finland international Jonatan Johansson is staying at Ibrox. Derby County made an offer for the player after talks with him this week. Contrary to Press and TV reports, Johansson did not go to Pride Park for a trial and has decided his future is with Rangers. As if joining Rangers wasn't enough, to join with the tag of 'The New George Best' could put any player off. But not so, sayslong-time Rangers fan Lee Feeney who's set to join the Ibrox giants on Sunday afternoon. Rangers have agreed to pay Linfield £100,000 for the player who impressed the coaching staff on a trail period earlier in the year. "I've no fears about going to Rangers," he said from his home. "Why be worried about something you've wanted all your life. I'll go there and make sure I do everything to make it work."

Wednesday 16th December 1998

Derby County have taken Rangers star Jonatan Johansson on a three-day trial. The midfielder has featured in most of Rangers' game this season after previously struggling to make an impact at Ibrox. If Johansson impresses at Pride Park, Smith is expected to sign the Finnish international for a fee of around £1.5m. The 23-year-old joined Rangers for a bargain £300,000 from Flora Tallinn last year and scored in the Scottish giant's excellent 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Cup. Rangers could be without team captain Lorenzo Amoruso as well as full back Arthur Numan for their visit to Tynecastle on Saturday after the Italian limped out of Ibrox yesterday following training. Numan was injured against Kilmarnock and now has a light plaster on his ankle. He had the damaged ankle X-rayed yesterday but will require a further one when he returns to hospital on Thursday. He will not play against Hearts. If Amoruso is also missing at the weekend, Rangers would have serious problems in defence as Scott Wilson is still suspended.

Monday 14th December 1998

Rangers have completed the signing of Hearts winger Neil McCann. McCann, 24, has signed a 4 1/2 year deal with Rangers after the clubs had agreed a fee of £1.6 million for the Scottish international. McCann is expected to make his debut against former club Hearts next Saturday at Tynecastle.

Sunday 13th December 1998

Rangers are expected to fail in their attempts to lure Borussia Dortmund keeper Stefan Klos to Ibrox. The German side are reluctant to let Klos leave because they cannot find a replacement. The Bundesliga side say Klos would be allowed to leave during the winter break, which begins next week, if they could get a suitable replacement. But their efforts to bring in Milan's Jens Lehmann appear to have foundered over the transfer fee.

Friday 11th December 1998

Stephane Guivarc'h is expected to be back in attack as Rangers take on Kilmarnock in the top of the table Premier League clash at Ibrox. Antti Niemi is fit after treatment for a thigh injury and Andrei Kanchelskis has recovered from flu. Kilmarnock are likely to keep the side which beat Aberdeen last week which means that ex-Ibrox star Ally McCoist will be on the bench. Both teams have the same number of points. Rangers' goal difference is better by one, but they also have a game in hand. Rangers are hoping to complete the signing of Scotland winger Neil McCann from Hearts early next week. German midfielder Jorg Albertz has admitted if coach Dick Advocaat tells him Hearts winger Neil McCann is a better player than him - he'll leave his beloved Ibrox. "There's no need to speak with the gaffer just now," he said today. "If he thinks McCann is a better player, and he can score as many goals as I have since coming to Rangers, then so be it. But I'm happy here.That's why I signed an extension to my contract." Lionel Charbonnier has been handed a two-match ban by the French Football Federation. On paper it means the Rangers goalkeeper will miss a couple of games of the domestic campaign. But Charbonnier could escape Scot-free as he is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season because of knee ligament damage. The FFF decided to suspend the player after he stormed out of a national training camp in October.

Thursday 10th December 1998

Rangers target Stefan Klos won't allow himself to entertain thoughts of a New Year Old Firm date with former team-mate Paul Lambert just yet. But the German 'keeper admits a move to Scotland remains his favoured option after being told he can leave Borussia Dortmund sooner rather than later. Klos said: "I have already decided that I want to go to Rangers - but it's not my decision to make at the moment."

Wednesday 9th December 1998

Borussia Dortmund keeper Stefan Klos could be heading for England. Rangers now face a fight with Liverpool to secure the services of Klos. According to German reports, Liverpool are believed to have tabled an offer for the keeper. Klos is a friend of Liverpool striker Karl Heinz Riedle, a former team-mate of his at Dortmund, and that could see him heading for Merseyside rather than Clydeside. Hearts were tonight insisting that Neil McCann is still a Tynecastle player, despite reports suggesting he had alrady completed a medical with Rangers. Hearts spokesman Douglas Dalglish said: "There have been further approaches from Rangers and we have received a further bid, we can't deny that," "It has been discussed but nothing has been agreed as yet. As things stand, he is still a Hearts player."

Tuesday 8th December 1998

Borussia Dortmund keeper Stefan Klos has been given the all clear to hold talks with Rangers. The German outfit had previously ruled out a move to Ibrox for Klos before the end of the season but have had a change of heart. "I have received the green light from the club to enter into negotiations with Rangers with regard to a transfer before Christmas," said 27-year-old Klos, who will be a free agent at the end of the season under the Bosman ruling. Five Rangers fans have been arrested in Milan as Police try to keep a lid on any trouble ahead of this afternoon's UEFA Cup second leg match with Parma and Rangers. All the men come from Edinburgh, and they appeared in court charged with drunken behaviour and damaging property. They will be sentenced today.

Monday 7th December 1998

Ian Ferguson will be Rangers special envoy in Italy tomorrow when they attempt to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. The 31-year-old midfielder, with 10 years service at Ibrox under his belt, has been given the daunting task of man-marking Argentinian star Juan Veron. Ferguson's recall to the starting line-up - he was on the bench against Dunfermline on Saturday - will probably mean demotion for German midfielder Jorg Albertz. Rangers will be without Jonatan Johansson, who has not recovered from a hamstring injury, and Stephane Guivarc'h who is ineligible. But Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who had to sit out the first leg through suspension, is back and Gordon Durie may partner Rod Wallace up front. Hearts manager Jim Jefferies has revealed the Tynecastle club have rejected an offer for talented winger Neil McCann, understood to be from Rangers. McCann played no part in Sunday's 2-1 success over Celtic, and Jefferies revealed McCann's possible departure lies in the player's own hands because of a clause inserted into the Scotland prospect's contract allowing him to move if the price is right.

Saturday 5th December 1998

Rangers boss Dick Advocaat will be without striker Jonatan Johansson for this clash and the UEFA Cup tie against Parma as he has a groin injury. French striker Stephane Guivarc'h seems certain to link up with Rod Wallace in the attack. Pars manager Bert Paton is likely to demote David Graham to the bench as he reverts to a two-man forward line of Andy Smith and on-loan Edinho.

Wednesday 2nd December 1998

The BBC have announced that the UEFA Cup clash with Parma will be shown nationwide, rather than just in Scotland. The programme starts at 1.20pm next Tuesday 8/12/98 on BBC2 and the match will also be broadcast on Radio 5 and Radio Scotland. German satellite channel DSF will also be showing the match Europe-wide.

Tuesday 1st December 1998

Rangers have been linked once again with a move for Hearts defender David Weir. Weir is out of contract at the end of the season and Hearts are believed to be be willing to cash in on the player rather than have him leave for nothing in the summer. BBC Scotland will screen the 2nd leg of the UEFA Cup tie with Parma live. The coverage will be on BBC 2 and Radio Scotland with a 1.30pm kick-off next Tuesday (8/12/98).